Ebbsfleet United boss Steve Brown explains how a change in training routine is affecting his contract talks with players

Assembling a squad which will train three mornings a week next season is proving more difficult than Ebbsfleet boss Steve Brown first expected.

Brown has been talking to players all week as the Fleet make the transition from part-time status to daytime training - and those negotiations could continue for a while yet.

Brown said: "The difficulty is that we’re going to three mornings a week and it’s a huge change to people’s lifestyle. Players have got to weigh up what’s right for them in terms of their finances and getting the balance right.

"It’s been far more complicated than I expected. It’s been an issue, if I’m honest. For the club moving forward, this is the right thing to do and we’re trying to do the right thing by the players who got us such a good finish last season.

"I’ll talk to all of them individually. It’s not a case of how many I’d like to keep, it’s what fits. One day, I’ve got five ready to sign on and the next day, I haven’t.

"The goalposts move from day to day and it’s a tricky balance to strike."